IMPERIAL UNITY

Hokitika Guardian, 13 January 1927, Page 4

IMPERIAL UNITY

G 0 YE HNOR-G EN ED AIVS SPEKCII. AUCKLAND, Jan. 11. “Because children born in New Zealand to-day are lipt to drift, away from the Old Country, it behoves us to redouble our efforts to keep up the feeling of imperial unity and kinship with the Motherland.” Tti these words the Governor-General Sir Charles Fergusson, addressed an earnest appeal to 200 teachers assembled; at Cambridge to-day in connexion with the teachers’ summer school. “What/’ asked his Excellency, “would we like to see most con-

spicuous in the character of the children from the point of view of citizenship, and what ideas would we like to implant firmly in their minds so that they may he worthy of their country and generation?” For answer he

touched on three considerations which ho regarded as being of vital importance. “There is no need for me to speak to you of loyalty,” he said. “In no country is it more thorough and in no country can you got a more delightful picture tit! in l>v going round New Zealand school seeing children in their altitude of 'loyalty to tho King and country. It is an inspiration but it is necessary to remember that conditions change. “Lately wo have seen in tho proceedings of tho Imperial Conference how the conception of Empire is changing. We hear the words ‘equality’ and ‘independence’ used in a way that strikes us as somewhat different from

what we have been brought up to understand by those terms. Wo have been accustomed for vctirs to say that tho Dominions and the Mother Country are united by a thread' as bright as gold and as strong as steel, but with the new conditions growing up and the now ideas coming in. that thread is being stretched, T will not say dangerously, hut to a thinness that makes one anxious lest, it ho stretched to breaking point.- Tt is therefore more necessary than ever that children should bo brought up In tho knowledge of the ties of blood and kinship, of tho glory 'nml responsibility of the great heritage that- has come down to them and of the immense importance of keeping up whole-hearted allegiance to the Crown and the person of his Majesty the King.” Continuing, his Excellency said: “Young people should he taught that wli'-it a man becomes in this world he becomes by reason of his own exertions. Help young people to get out. of the idea of always looking to the State and Government for help.” Sir Charles appealed to the teachers to see glory in their work, even though it might seem at times laborious and sometimes drudgery. He ..rged them whenever the opportunity occurred mid they were allowed to instil into the young minds in their care appreciation of the one sure foundation of their lives and the best pattern upon which those lives could be modelled.